During the final frame, the score was 3-3. With one out, outfielder Issac Sturgess lined his pitch to left field — the go-ahead run on base. MSU’s top bat, Randy Seymour, then took the plate before getting plunked in the head. Freshman third baseman CJ Deckinga was next, but pitcher Kyle Alivo hit his second batter in a row to load the bases. 

In the biggest moment of his career, McKay then hit a hard ground ball to the deepest part of the 5-6 hole and scored Sturgess on a fielder’s choice.

The Spartans' win against Iowa marks the first time the team has won two games in the Big Ten Tournament since 2016. They’ll face the four-seed USC Trojans at 10 a.m. Friday in the single-elimination quarterfinals. 

The Big Ten Baseball Tournament has a new format for the second year in a row. This year’s format gives the top four seeds a three-game bye while the rest duke it out in the double-elimination bracket until the weekend. 

On the mound, MSU saw a strong start from graduate transfer Carter Monke, who threw five and two-thirds innings with two earned runs, four strikeouts, four hits and no walks. With a fastball that sits from 88-91 mph, Monke won’t blow away any collegiate hitters, but during this high-stress postseason outing, he flawlessly pitched to contact, allowing just five base runners on 61% strikes. Monke was stoic on the bump, stopping occasional hits from becoming a recurring issue.

This season, the long-haired, energetic Monke has found a comfortable role as a starting pitcher in the weekend conference rotation. Monke has faced Iowa four times throughout his three seasons. At Illinois State, he bested the Hawkeyes two of three times and threw over 100 pitches in a 15-5 run-rule win in March. 

When Monke’s day was over, LHP Gannon Grundman came in relief and earned the win. He tossed two and one-third innings, allowing three hits while striking out a pair with no earned runs or walks to his name. Nolan Higgins took to the mound in search of the save at the bottom of the ninth. He punched out two and emphatically punched his glove in celebration as the final batter was put out.

As the 12th and final seed in the tournament, Boss said his guys are playing loose with nothing to lose. Even so, you still need some things to go your way. In the seventh inning, MSU brought the score back even on a costly dropped third-strike error from catcher Matthew Delgado. Randy Seymour reached first safely, and Parker Picot came around from second to score, tying it at three. 

The game saw four lead changes, and neither squad took more than a one-run lead. Both teams tallied seven hits, with the Spartans even leaving 15 runners on base. 

McKay went 1-for-2 on the day with a walk and a sacrifice fly in the second inning. 

The five-foot-10 second baseman, McKay, had a breakout season a year ago as the team’s leading batter. He hit .319 with a .916 OPS and stole his fair share of bases, too. This season, his average has fallen nearly 100 points, and the OPS has dropped to .639. In the past two seasons, McKay has seen his team fall apart in the conference tournament. Tonight, his hit in the clutch reaffirmed that he can be a go-to guy in the lineup for Boss.

Leadoff hitter Nick Williams extended his hit streak to 15 games. The left fielder was 2-for-6 with a single to start the game in the first and an RBI fielder’s choice in the fourth. Williams is having the best year of his career in East Lansing. His average is up 55 points from last year with an OPS closing in on 1.000. 

Against USC, MSU will likely face Big Ten Pitcher of the Year, Brendan Edwards. The Trojans’ ace is one of the best arms in the nation with an 8-0 record, 1.49 ERA and 154 strikeouts in 84.1 innings pitched. Both Edwards' ERA and strikeout totals lead the conference.